Overview
- Models published in Nature Astronomy identify a tight 'chemical Goldilocks zone' of oxygen during core formation that preserves both phosphorus and nitrogen.
- Too little oxygen drives phosphorus into iron-rich cores, while too much oxygen leaves nitrogen prone to atmospheric loss.
- Earth formed within this narrow range, whereas Mars fell outside it, leaving its mantle relatively richer in phosphorus but poorer in nitrogen.
- The team, led by Craig Walton with Maria Schönbächler, argues that host-star composition offers a practical proxy for early planetary chemistry.
- The guidance is model-based and aimed at prioritizing targets for large telescopes rather than providing direct measurements of exoplanet interiors.